New Fantastic Four film heading to Vancouver

Vancouver is on the verge of getting another feature film. The new Fantastic Four is in the very beginning stages of production as director Josh Trank started scouting out studios and searching for crew with an anticipation to start the project this September.

The first two Fantastic Four films were filmed in Vancouver (which stands in well for metropolitan cities), and it was Trank who is pushing to bring back the reboot to our lovely city.

Trank fell in love with Vancouver while filming reshoots for his breakout film Chronicle, during which he became very familiar with the city and its experienced crew.

The FF4 reboot is being produced by Matthew Vaughn, director of X-men: First Class, with the intention that the two series’ will interact at some point. Along with Seth Graham Smith of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter fame completing the re-write of the script, the FF4 reboot hopefully will breathe life into the franchise, possibly bringing future film opportunities to Vancouver as spin-off and sequels progress.

Even though Vancouver is first choice for the Hollywood production, depending on costs they are not opposed to moving the feature to another city, and this wouldn’t be the first (or last) time a Hollywood feature has come to Vancouver in hopes to film, but instead just packed-up and left.

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles chose Vancouver as a New York replacement, even worked with a local studio for over a month before Director Michael Bay decided to close-up shop and then move production to… well, New York.

At this moment FF4 is in the very, very early stages of production, and the film has yet to go through casting (which, I’m sure can’t get any worse than Jessica Alba).

Once a studio is actually picked and preparations begin, we’ll be certain it will actually film here. But with current features like Godzilla, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and fresh off the heels of another partially filmed in Vancouver superhero movie – Man of Steel (in theatres on June 14)– it’s a good chance.

Written by Felix Kay, a contributor at Vancity Buzz. Stay in touch with Felix on Twitter at @TheFelixKay.